India's 3rd straight ICC final loss to Australia at U19 World Cup triggers meme meltdown

In yet another chapter of World Cup final heartbreak, Australia inflicted a crushing defeat on defending champions India, clinching victory by a significant margin of 79 runs to seize their fourth Under-19 World Cup title at Willowmoore Park on February 11.

The loss marked India's second consecutive defeat against Australia in the World Cup final within a short span of just three months; the senior men's team had faced a six-wicket defeat at the hands of Pat Cummins' Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup final last November.

India's pursuit of a daunting target of 254 runs encountered early hurdles as Australia's bowlers set the tone with two maiden overs, foreshadowing the demanding task that lay ahead for the Indian batters. The side kept losing wickets at regular intervals, with India's highest partnership coming for the ninth wicket (44 runs).

The Indian U19 team experienced a parallel narrative to their senior men's counterparts this year, triumphing in every match except the final. Following the loss, social media platforms were abuzz with commendation for the Australian team, alongside Indian fans expressing admiration for their own team despite the setback.

Concurrently, the third consecutive defeat to Australia sparked a wave of humorous memes and jokes on various social media platforms.

Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan has lashed out at Pakistan cricket fans after they trolled the Indian U19 team for losing the World Cup Final against Australia. The India colts were outclassed by the Australians and lost the final of the U19 World Cup by 79 runs on Sunday, 11 February.

Several Pakistan fans trolled the Indian team for losing the third successive final against Australia. Before the U19 loss, India senior men's team had lost the World Test Championship Final and the ODI World Cup Final against Pat Cummins' side.

Pathan was left furious with the trolling against the young and budding cricketers and took to Twitter to lash out on Sunday evening, within an hour of India's loss in Benoni.

"Despite their U19 team not making it to the final, keyboard warriors from across the border find pleasure in our youngsters’ defeat. This negative attitude reflects poorly on their nation’s mindset. #padosi," Pathan wrote on Twitter.